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he continued, turning to me, “am now well
to do in the world, and want such a fellow
as you, young, hardy, and resolute, to make
one or two trials first, and afterwards to take
the sea business, whilst I retire to manage it
‘on shore,
“Tt’sa life of danger; but that danger has
its charms. A woman is not worth winning
when there is no opposition to the love,—
and a fortune is more satisfactory when it is
-made by perils, and in defiance of the law.
A stolen kiss is always the sweetest. Your
gentleman, who inherits his fortune which
his father has toiled for, cannot feel the glow
you have felt when the enemy has_ struck
his colors, and the prize has been gained by
courage and hard work. Come, this is no
time for long words; here’s my hand upon
it: serve me well this night,—be my friend
—my companion in danger—and you shall
not go unrewarded.” .
I shook my head.
“What!” ‘continued he, “ you refuse ?
Consider before your word is passed ; again,
will you join me ?” :
“No!” said 1; “ never !—never !”
“Then this night,” said Tackle, coolly,
“you shall see, if there is a dust, how easy
it is to grin through bars.-and afterwards to
visit foreign parts at the King’s expense.”
“There’s a vessel on the larboard bow,
sir!” said a man, who had been placed to
look out.
The skipper went forward, and I jumped
into the cabin in order to get a pistol: but I
could not open the locker; so I whipped a
large sharp-pointed carving-knife inside my.
shirt.’ I was on deck before the skipper
came aft; and I managed to stow away my
only defence in such a manner as to bafile
his quick eye, and to hinder its wounding
myself. .
‘
—_~———
\ .
CHAPTER XII.
Different deaths at once surround us;
Hark! what means that dreadful bell ?—Sea Song.
Tue vessel which we had seen was a fish-
ing-boat, under easy sail on the. larboard
tack ; and I shortly saw two lights on her
“deck, as if by accident, and.not shown as
any sigual.
-“That’s her!” said one of the seamen;
and our three lights were held over the lee
quarter ; then two were shown by her more
boldly, and we shot up alongside of her and
hove-to.
“ Hooker, ahoy!” said the skipper. *
“How are you in the Nancy?” was the
reply. “All right from Cawsand,” con-
tinued the stranger. :
“ Any news from the islands?” said the
skipper; and this finished the discourse,
“
52 BEN BRACE.
consisting of many private signals, which ne
one knew but the two skippers, and conse-
quently a mistake was impossible. ‘The boat
of the Nancy was out in a moment, and very
shortly afterwards the skipper of the hookes
came on board. He shovk his worthy part
ner by the hand, and they both went into the
cabin. The conversation was in a low tone
of voice, which gradually zrew louder, and
I soon found that I was the object. I sat
by the companion; for the man who ought
to have been at the helm had lashed it a-lee.
and had gone below to prepare for the ensu
ing struggle.
“T really don’t know,” said the stranger.
“ how we can manage him; but of<this we
are certain, that we can contrive, if we are
opposed in the Janding, to get rid of him
without much trouble, but otherwise he might
blow the gaff upon us.”
“He proinised me he never would,” re-
plied the skipper; “and there is something
all fair and above-board about him. Let's
have him down and try him again.”
“T’d rather he did not see me, so as te
swear to me,” said the first. .
“ Never fear, Jacob; we can always find
means to stop any oath. So let me call
him; we must not bear up for the next hour
with this breeze—we should be in too soon.
But as our talk is over, we will run down
within a couple of miles inside the Eddy-
stone, and at one make a run for it. Tapes
said that he did not imagine we should meet
with any opposition; and he and his men are
all ready to assist. What a precious old
scoundrel he is !” : .
“T think he cheats us finely, Tom,” re-
plied Jacob. -‘ But wait awhile; they say,
when rogues fall out, honest men get then
due: it won’t be long before we give him a
receipt in full.”
This bit of intelligence about Tapes did
not pass me unheeded. “T’ll recollect you,
my fine fellow, some of these days, depend
on it.” thought I-to myself.
“Let's have Tearnay down, Jacob, and
see what we can make of him;” and he
called me. .
I went down, and seated myself against
the foremast bulk-head, only keeping my
right side towards them, for I was fearful
”
They pushed the brandy towards me, and. ]
took a strong south-wester-to keep the cod
out, and to twist me up a little.
“ Now, Fearnay,” said the skipper, ‘ will
you join us or not?”
“ No,” said I, “I won’t! I feel much
obliged to you for the offer, which, I dare
say, might turn out beneficial to me; but I
have followed Nelson ever since he was en-
tered on board a man-of-war, and I could
to-morrow be a warrant-officer in the ser-
vice. I refused promotion to be always
near him; and it is not in any ill-will, ‘at
that the carving-knife might be discovered. —
~